Hockey ‘gold mine’

Remaining NHL season tickets sell out in just minutes

Winnipeg Jets fans (from left to right) Jason Miller, Parker Stephenson, Brady Russell and Ryan Kit were among the lucky buyers of season tickets during Saturday’s public sale. (ROSS ROMANIUK/Winnipeg Sun)

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It was like breaking down an online door in a rush to become the first fans to watch the Winnipeg Jets play in 15 years.

It took just seconds for some, agonizing minutes for others. And after only 17 minutes on Saturday, all of the approximately 6,000 season tickets available through a public sale for Manitoba’s new NHL team’s games were gone.

Ryan Kit and friends Jason Miller, Parker Stephenson and Brady Russell arrived at MTS Centre to celebrate clad in Jets jerseys and hats, shortly after scoring two half-season seats high in the arena’s upper bowl for about $2,300, including a deposit.

Their purchase through the DriveTo13.com sales website came within the first two minutes of its noon start, after they had gathered to use three computers at one location.

“We just were hitting ‘refresh’ about five minutes before 12, just to be sure we had the best chance of getting it. One of us, I think it was Parker, got it,” Kit told the Winnipeg Sun.

The location of their seats in what Russell called “the nose-bleeds” was of no concern to the group.

“We’re hoping for a party,” Stephenson said, before Kit added: “We’re going to start the party!”

The extremely swift sale of what remained of 13,000 season seats was a stunning and, for True North Sports and Entertainment president Jim Ludlow, “surreal” exclamation point on a week of excitement that began Tuesday with the confirmation that Winnipeg is back in the big league after the Jets left for Phoenix in 1996.

“Winnipeggers spoke very, very strongly, with other Manitobans. ... They pushed through in 17 minutes, which is a very, very powerful message going back to the National Hockey League and throughout the country,” Ludlow told reporters of the sellout declared at 12:17 p.m.

“Beyond all of that, it’s a very strong message about this community.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that though he hadn’t doubted True North’s “drive to 13,000” would succeed, “the remarkable speed at which it got there certifies the fans’ hunger for NHL hockey and their commitment to True North’s initiatives.”

Hockey commentator Don Cherry lauded Winnipeg’s zeal for NHL tickets, during Saturday night’s CBC telecast of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins.

“It will be a gold mine in Winnipeg,” Cherry said, suggesting other Canadian cities will also join the NHL.